Is Calipari slowly losing his way on the recruiting trail to K/Capel?
- Thread starter Quavarius
- Start date
No, Coach K has had great success but regretfully so has Cal. Don't forget a player named Kevin Knox so quickly. Just a couple of months ago we were all depressed here on DI when Knox chose UK instead of Duke. Both K and Cal are currently the kings of the OAD recruiting with Zona and KU in the mix. Bagley and Jones recently are the big stories so naturally one might think we are doing better.
There is one thing that never changes though. GO TO HELL UNC, GO TO HELL.
There is one thing that never changes though. GO TO HELL UNC, GO TO HELL.
Depending on how next recruiting class turns out. For example if we were to get Reddish, Garland, and Barrett, then this argument could be made!
2015 tells me we have the best recruiter....I would not have switched teams with them!!......oh, and 2013...wasn't that class supposed to be all that and lost first round in the N.I.T.? If I'm not mixing my years, that class had 5 of the top 9 recruits....or maybe I "accidentally" confused recruiting ability with coaching ability??
Not really however, Duke is a better brand then Kentucky. Duke has more national appeal.
K seems to always get the kids that are more offensively skilled overall. Better shooters and offensively more gifted overall. Kids are watching rosters. We did miss on Knox and Quade Green to Kentucky, but in return we did get Duval and Bagely.
K seems to always get the kids that are more offensively skilled overall. Better shooters and offensively more gifted overall. Kids are watching rosters. We did miss on Knox and Quade Green to Kentucky, but in return we did get Duval and Bagely.
I totally agree. UK fans think they are some huge national thing. Not even close. Roam the country and you would see a lot more Duke hats and shirts than UK. They are centralized to their hillbilly state.
Coach Cal and U.K. will continue to get great recruiting classes, as will Zona. What's helped us the most is UNC, Indiana, UCLA (until recently), Ohio State, Georgetown, etc have all been struggling and on the recruiting trail which has allowed us to go the Midwest and pull kids like Tatum, Kennard, Okafor, Jones, Trent, etc with little resistance. We used to still get our share from there but it was usually a fight to pull them to Duke.
I think we're slightly ahead. It's not as though we can handpick whoever we want, but we have been winning more of the head-to-head battles. In the last 4 years, there have been 11 recruits pick Duke over Kentucky - and 7 recruits who picked Kentucky over Duke. We have beaten out Kentucky for every top 5 prospect with the exception of KAT. But sort of a moot point since Okafor, the #1 HS prospect and our top target, signed with us anyway.
Signed with Duke over Kentucky:
Gary Trent
Marvin Bagley
Wendell Carter
Jayson Tatum
Harry Giles
Marques Bolden
Derryck Thornton
Luke Kennard
Brandon Ingram
Tyus Jones
Jahlil Okafor
Signed with Kentucky over Duke:
Quade Green
Hamidou Diallo
Kevin Knox
Wayne Gabriel
Devin Booker
Trey Lyles
Karl-Anthony Towns
Signed with Duke over Kentucky:
Gary Trent
Marvin Bagley
Wendell Carter
Jayson Tatum
Harry Giles
Marques Bolden
Derryck Thornton
Luke Kennard
Brandon Ingram
Tyus Jones
Jahlil Okafor
Signed with Kentucky over Duke:
Quade Green
Hamidou Diallo
Kevin Knox
Wayne Gabriel
Devin Booker
Trey Lyles
Karl-Anthony Towns
Those can all be kind of skewed, though. In essence, I suppose we beat out UK for Tyus and Jahlil, but not really. It became pretty clear early on they were heavy Duke leans....it was Cal doing it due diligence at the beginning. It's in the same token that I would say Cal didn't really 'beat' us for KAT or Devin Booker. UK was always viewed as the heavy favorite.
Now, with recruits like Kennard, Bolden and Knox....yes, those were head-to-head battles.
To the original point of this thread.....no, I don't think Cal is losing his way to K and Capel on the recruiting trail. Just look at the classes he's bringing in year-after-year to find your answer.
Here's the one point on this I'd make....K never made a conscious decision to go after one and done players. He's always recruited the best players....whether it was 30, 20 or 10 years ago. That hasn't changed. It's just that the landscape has changed and more players today, than five or 10 years ago, see themselves as one-and-done. K recruited Brandan Wright, Greg Monroe, John Wall, Kyrie Irving and Harrison Barnes in a three-year span. All five of those guys were viewed as potential OAD kids, with just Barnes and Monroe playing more than a season in college.
Uh....UK lost their best player, Nerlins Noel, with a season ending knee injury. Lost 6 out of their last 10 after that. Also that recruiting class had the #1, #9, & #15 recruits....NOT 5 out of top 10. The rest were scrubs from other teams:
They were 19-6 when Noel went down. They had just won 5 straight & were starting to gel.
Cal's young teams usually struggle during the regular season & begin clicking 2nd half of Feb. This team was beginning to do that; however, a good run for that team would've been a sweet 16. Overall the least talented team Cal has had at UK.
Starting 5 was:
Ryan Harrow - transfer from N.C. State
Archie Goodwin
Julius Mayes - transfer from Wichita State
Alex Poythress
Nerlins Noel
Willie Cauley-Stein - top 75 recruit, committed to UK & rose to 42 in final rankings. UK only blue blood program to offer
Kyle Wiltjer off the bench
2012 National Championship team returned not one of top 7 scorers. Like I said, needed more talent to have a meaningful run in 2013.
Out of 8 seasons, 6 of Cal's teams have advanced to at least Elite 8:
-4 of those to the final 4
-2 to the title game
-1 won the title
I'd say that's a pretty good run
They were 19-6 when Noel went down. They had just won 5 straight & were starting to gel.
Cal's young teams usually struggle during the regular season & begin clicking 2nd half of Feb. This team was beginning to do that; however, a good run for that team would've been a sweet 16. Overall the least talented team Cal has had at UK.
Starting 5 was:
Ryan Harrow - transfer from N.C. State
Archie Goodwin
Julius Mayes - transfer from Wichita State
Alex Poythress
Nerlins Noel
Willie Cauley-Stein - top 75 recruit, committed to UK & rose to 42 in final rankings. UK only blue blood program to offer
Kyle Wiltjer off the bench
2012 National Championship team returned not one of top 7 scorers. Like I said, needed more talent to have a meaningful run in 2013.
Out of 8 seasons, 6 of Cal's teams have advanced to at least Elite 8:
-4 of those to the final 4
-2 to the title game
-1 won the title
I'd say that's a pretty good run
Trust me, we know all about injuries and transfers and how they can derail a season, especially playing in a tough conference where our freshmen aren't allowed to gel.
Still, two titles in 8 seasons ain't too shabby
If someone told me you'd have two titles in the decade you'd take it and run
And the decade ain't over.....could add a 3rd either this year or next....what a decade this could be in the latter stages of K's career.
One title in 29 years is nothing to hold a parade over. And once again, I live here, and can vividly remember listening to ky fans talk about what a cheat and scum he was before he got here, now he's a god? Sell that kool aid somewhere else.....I am not drinking it. In his entire career, he has coached exactly one more national championship team than I have!!
Hey!, I only have to win one to tie the legend!!!
Kentucky and duke will always get the best players fighting every year to see who gets the best players it will be interesting to see how things turn out when coach k and cal leave
Ryan Harrow, Alex Poythress and Nerlins Noel were not ever good players, just average at best.They were 19-6 when Noel went down. They had just won 5 straight & were starting to gel.
Cal's young teams usually struggle during the regular season & begin clicking 2nd half of Feb. This team was beginning to do that; however, a good run for that team would've been a sweet 16. Overall the least talented team Cal has had at UK.
Starting 5 was:
Ryan Harrow - transfer from N.C. State
Archie Goodwin
Julius Mayes - transfer from Wichita State
Alex Poythress
Nerlins Noel
Willie Cauley-Stein - top 75 recruit, committed to UK & rose to 42 in final rankings. UK only blue blood program to offer
Kyle Wiltjer off the bench
2012 National Championship team returned not one of top 7 scorers. Like I said, needed more talent to have a meaningful run in 2013.
Out of 8 seasons, 6 of Cal's teams have advanced to at least Elite 8:
-4 of those to the final 4
-2 to the title game
-1 won the title
I'd say that's a pretty good run
Calipari is a better salesman than K. K just has a better product to sell.
They're both great salesmen, just K has done a better job closing the deal during his career. If K has the talent and chemistry, he's the best in the business.
That's why Coach K makes the big bucks. Up to him and the staff to learn the kids, and they're getting to know them well before they come to Durham.
Chemistry sure wasn't there last year hard to do without a true point guard the games I watched with Duvalls high school team he played off the ball a lot so I wonder about him distributing the ball
Or Trevon!! We already know who would win that one on one battle! But if Quade does come back he will be going against Tre in the Champions Classic next year!
Well I was speaking of Trevon, but either works!!!!
Let's hope the champions classic game will be more competitive next time these two heavyweights meet
Out of 8 seasons, 6 of Cal's teams have advanced to at least Elite 8:
-4 of those to the final 4
-2 to the title game
-1 won the title
I'd say that's a pretty good run
Cal has won ONE National Title with all the talent in the world. The guy is a world class choker.
I hope it's more competitive the next time you play Wisconsin.
LMAO!!
LMAO!!!!...
Think you must have been watching "DAVID" Duvall....Try googling "TREVON".....Say it with me....TRAY_VON
LMAO!!!!...
Think you must have been watching "DAVID" Duvall....Try googling "TREVON".....Say it with me....TRAY_VON
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